Synonyms

refute

American

[ri-fyoot] / rɪˈfjut /

verb (used with object)

to prove to be false or erroneous, as an opinion or charge.

Synonyms:

confute, rebut, disprove
to prove (a person) to be in error.

Synonyms:

confute

refute British

/ rɪˈfjuːt, rɪˈfjuː-, rɪˌfjuː- /

verb

(tr) to prove (a statement, theory, charge, etc) of (a person) to be false or incorrect; disprove
to deny (a claim, charge, allegation, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

The use of refute to mean deny is thought by many people to be incorrect

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of refute

First recorded in 1505–15; from Latin refūtāre “to check, suppress, refute, rebut,” equivalent to re- re- + -fūtāre presumably, “to beat” (attested only with the prefixes con- and re-; cf. confute)

Explanation

The verb refute is to prove that something is wrong. When the kids you're babysitting swear they brushed their teeth, you can refute their claim by presenting the dry toothbrushes. Evidence and arguments are used to refute something. So are facts. For example, if children who eat chocolate before going to bed go straight to sleep, that refutes the idea that sugar keeps them up. Refute comes from the Latin refutare for "to check, suppress." A near synonym is confute, but save refute as an everyday word for proving something is false.

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Vocabulary lists containing refute

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

refute refutes refuted refuting

Mr. Sullivan’s challenge is to refute this remarkable rewrite of recent history.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

“We believe the partnership helps refute the recent bear thesis that AI agents and personal shoppers could disintermediate Shopify and its large payments business,” Shah wrote in an investor note.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

Naturally, this makes the film’s contents easier to refute for those who choose to deny the obvious.

From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2026

However, the England head coach has since appeared to refute the idea the defensive retreat was a result of the directions he'd provided his team.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

When the war came, no one could refute his evidence.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Early in the film, Billy refutes Kris’ overcomplicated idea of horror films.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

"Our results have far-reaching implications. Firstly, it refutes the hypothesis that any organics found in fossils must result from contamination."

From Science Daily ● May 14, 2026

They said the company had "extensive" evidence including messages, documents and witness testimony that "unequivocally refutes" Mavromantis' claims.

From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026

Outside of the Chagall exhibition in Moscow, former piano teacher Irina refutes the idea of trying to escape from the war.

From Barron's ● Feb. 18, 2026

“I think not. Look how thin she is. Her weight refutes that accusation. “

From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry

But Wright, the center’s attorney, refuted this, telling The Times that two investigations were done by independent third parties.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

However, “Iran refuted the existence of talks with the U.S., which could still limit the extent of the pullback in prices,” Dahrieh adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Koizumi refuted the idea that Japan was engaged in "new militarism" saying it was "nothing further from the truth".

From BBC ● May 31, 2026

A company spokesperson also refuted that reward benchmarks had been shared with employees ahead of the program’s July launch.

From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026

Galileo refuted that argument by pointing out that if ice is held down under water and then released, its broad, flat shape doesn’t stop it pushing upwards through the water.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Ms. Fritz’s task in refuting the rumors of a love affair isn’t easy, but she keeps at it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

“You are … on notice, before release, that the insinuation is false, that the material refuting it is public, and that you chose not to be told the rest,” Spiro wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

The conflict has functioned as an accelerated stress test, compressing years of operational learning into months and validating or refuting assumptions about real-world system performance.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026

Fun as it is to watch, there’s no refuting how psychologically sadistic “The Traitors” can be.

From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026

“No, of course I—” I was so committed to refuting him that I had half-denied the charge before I understood it; now my eyes swung back to his face.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023